THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 45, NO. 30 | MARCH 15, 2024
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Janice Beilman, left, and Edith Dichtl enjoy a quip of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann at the Holy Trinity women’s Bible study on Feb. 22. Women from all over the archdiocese come for the Thursday morning event that started around 22 years ago. The group includes women of all ages.
EARLY RISERS
Bible study offers women the chance to grow in their faith By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
L
ENEXA — On Thursday mornings, Elizabeth Slobodnik and her children make an hourlong journey from their home in Atchison to Holy Trinity Parish here. “I’m not a morning person,” said Slobodnik, “and none of my kids are either. It’s a little sacrifice to get up at 6:30 so that we can be out the door. “But we love it. We wouldn’t trade it.” Their reward is a form of spiritual nourishment they haven’t found
anywhere else. It’s the Holy Trinity women’s Bible study, and it’s one of a kind in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. “I think the formation we all receive is invaluable,” said Jennell Aykroyd of Holy Trinity. “It really adds to our understanding of our Catholic traditions and brings deeper meaning to our faith, the Mass and our purpose as women. “Including women and children from [around] the archdiocese makes a big world smaller. It makes our Catholic archdiocese closer.”
Unceasing interest Around 120 women are participating in this year’s Bible study, which meets weekly from September through May. The study is accompanied by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children of moms who participate — many of whom home school. “We like to say that we’re a women’s Bible study first that just happens to have a really amazing children’s program,” said Jenny Kropf, a parishioner at Holy Trinity.
Kropf was on the ground floor of starting the program some 22 years ago with Laura Haeusser and Kathryn Burditt. It was initially held in the basement of Church of the Holy Cross in Overland Park until Holy Trinity’s Quigley Center was built a handful of years later. “Since then, it’s been growing,” said Kropf. Each year, the study breaks up the women, who come from up to 20 parishes and are at all ages and stages of >> See “PARTICIPANTS” on page 7
YOUNG ARTISTS
A FISH STORY
High school artists from across the archdiocese took part in the Archbishop’s Invitational. Learn about the winners.
Photographer Jay Soldner traveled to Wamego on March 8 to check out the St. Bernard Parish fish fry. Join him for all the action.
>>> See story on page 4
>>> See story on pages 8-9